


Killer | Queen: London, October 1936

by rainpuddle13



Series: Killer | Queen [5]
Category: And Then There Were None (TV 2015), CHRISTIE Agatha - Works, Poirot - Agatha Christie
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M, Intrigue, shagemies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-30
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-17 06:42:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5858377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainpuddle13/pseuds/rainpuddle13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Diamonds are not a girl's best friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Killer | Queen: London, October 1936

_London, October 1936_

"Boss, this was just delivered for you." His man was hesitant to interrupt him and had stood in the doorway a few moments before actually speaking.

Philip looked up from the building schematics spread across the dining room table, growling at the interruption, "I didn't order anything."

“The bloke said to give you to you right away.” Brody placed the small box on the corner of the table and took two steps back. 

“Bloke?” he queried, his mind working through the various possibilities.

“American,” Brody answered.

Philip frowned, picking up the parcel tied up in brown paper and twine. It was too small to be an explosive and too flat to be a grenade. It didn’t rattle. “Did he say anything else?” he asked, using his pocket knife to cut the string and carefully pry open the department store box. Nestled in the tissue paper was a single blood splattered tan leather glove and a thick lock of red hair. He suddenly felt very ill.

Alice.

“Where did Alice go this morning?” Philip demanded harshly.

The normally staid Brody looked shaken to the core when Philip dumped the contents of the box on the table to look for a note or a clue or anything really that would tell him what the hell was going on. “Shopping. She went shopping. Selfridges, I believe," he answered quickly.

Any further questions were interrupted by the housekeeper knocking then entering the room. “There is a phone call for you, Mr Lombard. The gentleman said it is urgent.”

Philip dragged a shaking hand through his hair. "Who is it?"

"He didn't say, sir," the maid said, dropping her eyes to the floor, "just that you needed to take the call."

He headed to the entry way with a muttered curse to take the call. “What? Now is not a good time.”

“You’re a difficult man to find, Lombard,” came the chuckling reply. “I’ve been chasing you all over Europe for the past year.”

“Stenson,” Philip hissed in reply. Karma was a right bitch.

“So glad you remembered. I would’ve been hurt if you hadn’t, but I’ll cut right to the chase,” the American continued on. “You should’ve received my parcel by now. Did you like it?”

"What do you fucking want?" he asked through gritted teeth, trying to piece together exactly how everything had gone to shite so quickly.

“Now, now," Stenson chided, "I have something valuable of yours and you have something valuable of mine. I thought we might be able to work something out.”

Philip closed his eyes and forced himself to remain calm. Stenson was extremely volatile. There was no telling what he’d do and there was Alice to consider. “I don’t have anything of yours.”

"I figured you'd say that, Lombard. That is why I decided to ask someone else who might know the answer to my question."

"She doesn't know anything." Philip had to compartmentalize, focus on what was most important in the here and now, and let everything else go if he ever wanted to see Alice again, to kiss her, to make love to her, to feel her shatter into a million pieces with him deep inside of her. All of that tucked away when he opened his eyes and hardened his heart so he could do what needed to be done. "Just let her go and we can pretend this little incident never happened."

“Bullshit!” Stenson barked. “I know you stole my fucking diamonds and I want them back.”

“I told you I do not fucking have them,” Philip reiterated. Brody had joined him in the small entry to hand him a loaded gun before peering out into the street to assess the situation. “Now, Alice. What do I need to do to get her back?”

“Give me my fucking diamonds.”

“I can’t give you something I do not have.” 

“Car out front,” Brody said under his breath, motioning with his head in the direction of out front.

“Stop lying, you fucking Mick. I know you sold three high-grade, uncut stones in Paris last month,” Stenson raged.

Philip peeked out the window, seeing the black sedan parked in front of the house with the engine running. That was not good. Not good at all. “You must be mistaken. I haven’t been in Paris for ages.”

The American tsked. “You’ve seen the car out front by now, correct?”

“Yes,” he answered, fear curdling his blood. Something was wrong; very, _very_ wrong.

“I tried to ask Alice nicely where my diamonds were since I knew I wouldn’t get a straight answer out of you. Alice, Alice, Alice…pretty little thing. A true redhead. I had to check to see for myself. She really didn't like that," Stenson crowed. "Alice didn't seem your type at all, but after meeting her, well, I think I understand the attraction now. A kitten with sharp claws isn’t she?”

“She doesn’t know anything,” Philip snarled. And she didn’t. He’d kept his double-cross of Howard Stenson secret from her. The fewer people knew about what had gone down in Africa the better. Even Brody didn’t know all of the details. He’d sent his man back to Paris on the train with Alice from Athens. This was the exactly the sort of situation he’d been trying to avoid by keeping things quiet.

“Well, that was most unfortunate, her not knowing anything,” taunted Stenson. “I couldn’t take that chance could I? I just thought she was hard nut to crack. Sorry about the mess.”

“If you’ve harmed her I’ll—”

Stenson laughed, cold and hard, cutting him off. “Then you should not have stolen my diamonds, Lombard. Consider this a warning. I’m coming for you next if my property isn’t returned to me.”

Philip dropped the phone receiver to the floor with a loud clattering thump, watching in horror as a redheaded woman was shoved unceremoniously from the back of the car as it sped away, crumpling to the ground in a tattered heap. “Alice!” he screamed, tearing from the house, gun drawn and Brody close on his heels.

She lay in the gutter like a discarded bit of rubbish, still and unmoving, face swollen and unrecognizable from the beating she’d taken on his behalf. The ivory silk blouse and sea green wool skirt she’d worn out that morning were torn and blood soaked, the fine alabaster skin beneath turned purple from repeatedly being struck. Her shoes were missing from her feet, stockings ruined. She was unnaturally still when he dropped to his knees beside her, oblivious to the dirty water soaking through his trousers to chill his skin. 

“Alice?” he murmured to her, tears pooled in his eyes as he carefully brushed the tangled mess of russet hair from her face so he could see the damage done. They needed a doctor. Need one now. “Kitten? Can you hear me?” 

“Boss, we’ve got to get inside,” Brody urged, standing over him to protect their position. "It's not safe. This could be a trap to draw you out!"

Her delicate skin was cold to the touch when he took her small hand in his, meaning to lift her so he could scoop her up in his arms to carry her into the house. He sat back on his haunches, head thrown back, howling like a wounded animal when her hand dropped lifelessly into his lap. 

Brody directed his attention to where Neville Road intersected Upton Lane. Philip locked eyes with Stenson who stood watching to see how his handiwork played out from next to the red phone box on the corner. The bastard had the nerve to tip his cowboy hat in acknowledgement before getting into a waiting car and driving off.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written in response to the prompt: "Alice and Philip: A job goes wrong and Philip thinks Alice died"  
> submitted by Shiparker for the "Tell Me a Story I've Never Written" meme. 
> 
> Thank you to Mmmuses for the beta!


End file.
